Vacuum cleaner



C. MILLER VACUUM CLEANER June 14, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1946 Inventor C June '14, 1949- c. MILLER 2,4113% VACUUM CLEANER Filed July L26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invent 1:1

i1 /ZZ%Z/ ELLE 1" neg 1 Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 26, 1946, Serial N6. 686,599 In Canada April 25, 1946 9 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in vacuum or suction cleaners and the object of my invention is to provide a manually operated cleaner for use in cleaning rugs, furniture, upholstery, etc., which is of high efficiency and can 'be simply actuated by the operator with the minimum of effort.

Another and important feature of my invention is to so construct my cleaner that it can be actuated by somewhat the same arm motions on the part of the operator, as are used in sweeping a floor with a brush.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as shall hereinafter appear, my invention consists of a manually operated suction cleaner constructed and arranged, all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my cleaner, in the position as it would be held in the hands of the operator.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the suction inducing cylinder, piston, nozzle tube and dust receiving bag.

Fi ure 3 is a cross-sectional view through one head of one cylinder, being taken through the line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through the piston, being taken through the line 4-4,, Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the dust receiving bag.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views of the drawlngs.

The simple and efficient operation of my de vice will be clearly seen upon reference to Figure 2 of the drawings.

A cylinder 2 is carried in slidable relation to an aligned handle rod 3 and nozzle tube 4. The handle rod 3 slidably protrudes from the top of the cylinder and the nozzle tube 4 slidably protrudes from the bottom of the cylinder. The inner end of the handle rod 3 is secured to a hollow piston '5 carrying a fabric or leather piston ring 6.

The wall 1 of the piston, opposite to the end of the handle rod 3, is formed with a central orifice 8, which opens into a cylindrical chamber 9 attached to the wall I, and in which a dust receivin fabric bag I l! is contained. The open end of the chamber 9 is sealed by a detachable cover plate I l which is secured in place by a plurality of spring clips l2 attached to the outer face of the chamber. The inner end of. the

nozzle tube 4 extends into the dust receiving bag l0 through an orifice in the cover plate H. The cover plate I l is attached to the nozzle tube.

The ends of the cylinder 2 carry head plates l3 and I l. The upper plate I3 is permanently attached to the cylinder 2, and the lower plate I4 is removably carried upon the cylinder 2, being secured by spring clips is attached to the outer face of the cylinder. The head plates l3 and M are perforated with orifices l6 and I! which are positioned around the orifices I8 and 39 through which the handle rod 3 and the nozzle tube 4 respectively slide. The outer faces of the head plates are covered by flexible leather or fabric discs Zlland 2|. These discs act as flap valves to permit air to pass in one direction through the perforation orifices, but not in the other direction. The discs are covered in turn by spaced protection plates 22, and the assemblies secured by rivets 23. The nozzle tube 4 and handlerod 3 are an air tight sliding fit in the control orifices of the discs 20 and 2|.

The walls I and 24 of the piston are also perforated with'orlfices 25 and 26. The outer faces of the piston walls are covered by flexible leather or fabric discs 21 and 28 which cover the orifices and act as flap valves. The dust receiving bag I0 is formed with a lip 29 which is adapted to rest upon the outer'edge of the chamber 9 and be held in position under the pressure of the detachable cover plate II. The outer end of the nozzle tube 4 carries a nozzle 3!! of the standard'type. A handle 3| extends from the top end of the cylinder to a point intermediately of its length.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The operator holds'the handle rod 3 in one hand and the cylinder handle 3! in the other hand; the vacuum cleaner resting upon the floor and'belng held at aninclinat on in the same manner as asweeping brush. As the handle rod 3 is pushed forwardly in relat on to the cylinder 2. which is held against movement'by the operator, the piston 5 moves from t e upper end to lower end of the cylinder. D ring this movement of the pi ton in t e cylinder a reduced air pressure is created in the upper end of the cylinder. which causes the flexible disc 28 on the wall 24 of the piston to uncover the orifices 25, wherebyair is sucked through the nozzle 3th, nozzle tube 4 and dust bag ill: from where it passes through the wallsof the dust bag and through the orificewll into the hollow piston. and leaves the piston through the orifices 26 to enter the 3 upper part of the cylinder. The dust sucked into the cleaner with the air suction is filtered out as the air passes through the walls of the dust bag.

It will be understood that as the piston is moved downwardly in the cylinder that the flexible disc 20 will tightly cover the orifices H5 in the upper head plate l3, under the suction of the downwardly moving piston; and that conversely the flexible disc 2| will under th air pressure in the lower part of the cylinder move away from the orifices I! in th lower head plate I 4.

When the piston reaches the lower end of its stroke it is retracted by either pushing cylinder 2 downwardly or pulling the handle rod 3 upwardly.

As the piston moves upwardly in the cylinder, the flexible disc 2! will close the orifices l1 and a suction will be created in the lower part of the cylinder; and at the same time air will be expelled throu h the orifices [6 in the upper head of the cy inder. 7

The suction in the lower part of the cylinder will cause the flexible disc 27 to uncover the orifices 25, whereby air and dust are sucked into the bag Itl. as previously described. It will thus be apparent that the to and fro motion of the piston will create a continuous suction.

To remove dust and dirt from the bag 10. it is only necessary to loosen the cap plate 14 and to move the piston until the cover plate I l on the chamber 9 is exposed. The cover plate is then released and in coniunction with the nor zle tube 4 moved away from the chamber 9. The dust bag M c n then be removed for cleaning. After cleaning, the bag 10 is re-inscrted and the plates H and I d clipped in place, when the cleaner is ready for use.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have devised a very simple and effective vacuum or suction cleaner which is simple in operation and can be readily actuated with substantially the same motions on the part of the operator as used in handling a sweeping brush; and although I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention. it is to be understood that I can make changes and alterations as I may from time to time deem necessary without departing from the spirit of my invention pended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a suction cleaner of the character described, a cylinder, a hollow piston reciprocal therein to create a reduced air pressure in the cylinder on one side of the piston, said piston having an air port in each of its side faces. air suction operated valves controlling passage of air through the ports, a chamber carried by the piston and reciprocatingtherewith and communicating with the portion of the cylinder having a reduced air pressure, a dust receiving filter bag contained within the chamber, and a suction tube extending into the cylinder and into the chamber and having its inner end contained within the dust receiving bag.

2. A suction cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylinder has a head plate at each end and has an air port in each head plate, and air suction operated valves controlling passage of air through the head plate ports.

3. A suction cleaner as-claimed in claim 1,

as set forth in the ap- .wherein the suction tube extends into the cylin- 4 der at one end thereof and is reciprocal with the piston, and a handle rod extending into the cylinder at the other end thereof and secured to the piston and by means of which the piston is reciprocated.

4. A suction cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piston air port valves are in the form of flexible discs positioned on the side faces of the piston to cover the air ports and constitute flap valves, and wherein the cylinder has a head plate at each end and has air ports in each head plate, and flexible discs positioned on the head plates to cover the air ports and constitute flap valves.

5. In a suction cleaner of the character described, a cylinder, head plates closing each end of the cylinder and having air ports therein, flexible discs positioned on the head plates to cover the air ports and constitute flap valves, a hollow piston in the cylinder and having a plurality of orifices in its side faces, flexible discs positioned on the side faces of the piston to cover the air ports and constitute flap valves, the piston being reciprocal in the cylinder to create a reduced air pressure in the cylinder at on side of the piston, a chamber carried by the piston and communicating with the cylinder through the air ports in the piston, a dust receiving bag contained within the chamber, and a reciprocal suction tube extending into the cylinder through one of the head plates and having its inner end positioned within the dust receiving bag in the chamber.

6. A suction cleaner as claimed in claim 5,

, wherein the chamber is provided with a detachable cover plate.

7. A suction cleaner as claimed in claim 5, wherein the chamber is provided with a detachable cover plate, and a handle rod extending into the cylinder at the opposite end to the suction tube and secured to the piston and by means of which the piston is reciprocated.

8. A suction cleaner as claimed in claim 5, wherein the chamber is provided with a detachable cover plate to which the suction tube is secured, and a handle rod extending into the cylinder at the opposite end to the suction tube and secured to the piston and by means of which the piston is reciprocated.

9. A suction cleaner as claimed in claim 5, wherein the dust receiving bag is formed with a lip at its open end, a detachable cover plate for the chamber and resting upon the lip of the bag, and a handle rod extending into the cylinder at the opposite end to the suction tube and secured to the piston and by means of which the piston is reciprocated.

CAMILLO MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED .The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 988,158 Whitfield et a1 Mar. 28, 1911 2,346,339 Vose Apr. 11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 155,664 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1920 203,878 Great Britain Sept. 20, 1923 

